Netflix find: Absentia

I have to admit that although Netflix gets a little confused with recommendations, there’s usually a gem in there somewhere if I’m willing to look through everything. One such suggestion was a little film from 2011 called Absentia.

So what’s it about? It’s about a woman whose husband has been missing for the past seven years. She is finally able to file for a death certificate for him, when she realizes that he isn’t actually dead, but that something terrifying had happened to him instead. It’s a horror film, yes, but also a bit of a psychological thriller.

If you’re looking for blood and gore, this movie has none of that. It doesn’t need it. And the scary monsters are only seen in glimpses and flashbacks. But the suspense is built up in such a way that when that first jump out of your seat moment arrives, it leaves an impression on you.

Much of the movie’s success in the genre has everything to do with the two lead actresses: Katie Parker and Courtney Bell. These two play sisters (Bell portrays the wife of the missing man) and as they are going through the horrifying events of this movie, there was not a moment I did not find them believable. Their emotions are apparent, and I found myself crying at a scene near the end between the two.

Obviously, I’m trying not to give too much away about the movie. There are some complex twists and turns and at any given moment, you’re just not sure what’s going to happen next. These scenes are unsettling and will put you on edge and just when you think you’re grasping reality.